Jacobite causes

Alison Campsie’s article “The Jacobites: 'Don't let romanticism obscure the threat they posed ”( November 21) was very true, looking at it with Hanoverian colours.

To give it some balance, surely you must look at the causes of Jacobitism, namely religion in part, but principally to the real dissatisfaction with the dynasty sitting in London. Starting with William and Mar y in 1689, right through to George IV, not one mon - arch even bothered to set foot in Scotland, let alone tried to show some respect to the different cultures that existed in the northern part of their Kingdom.

The arrogance and sheer disinterest of William, George I, II and III was mindboggling, which made many Scots toast the health of the exiled Stewart kings, “Tae the King o’er the water”. The German George I totally ignored his Scottish Chancellor, Erskine, the Earl of Mar, on being invited to visit the northern half of his new kingdom. So began the 1715 uprising. What makes it even more galling is that if it were not for past Stewart blood in their veins (in William’s case, through his wife) none of them would ever have come to the British throne!

After the Jacobite victory at

Prestonpans in 1745, theirs became the only army in Scotland, with most British forces heavily involved in France. With better generalship, the Jacobite army would have gone on and taken London, George I I and all. Another factor here was the total lack of communication with and from the French, whose fleet was ready to sail.

Yes the Jacobite uprisings were serious and only l ater history has brought in the romanticism. Indeed, many men and their families gave their lives for the cause. Stupidity, arrogance, a lack of common sense and a total lack of leadership brought about all this loss of blood between 1692 and 1746.

There was a gap of 133 years between the end of James VII/II’S reign and George IV’S orchestra ted visit to Ed inburgh in 1822, when he was heard to say, wearing full Highland dress: “Look at me, you can all wear the kilt now!” Oh dear.

IAIN SIMPSON

Upper Green West Linton, Peeblesshire